Torn apart
by KitSune73
Summary: Upon arriving in Beacon hills I've been humiliated, shunned, ditched, mocked- and that was just the first day. I've made 2 amazing friends and 1 hateful enemy who I thought would be my biggest problem this year. I was wrong. One night puts everything into perspective and I'm forced to face bigger problems than a petty high school rivalry. There are real monsters out there...
1. Chapter 1

I can't believe my dad was actually making me do this again. Was he crazy? Or did he just hate me? I'm so nervous I think I'm going to throw up. Or faint. Or both... Maybe both...  
Starting at a new school was always hard, and I should know since I'd transferred 8 times since the start of Jr high because my dad and I moved around so much, thanks to his job as a freelance lawyer, but this time it felt different for more reasons than one. For starters I knew that this time it was permanent which meant a good first impression was everything. My dad had finally earned enough money to open his own law firm in the middle of town a few weeks before summer vacation and it was already a moderate success.  
Then there was the fact that, unlike everywhere else we had moved to, I had lived in this town about 7 years ago, right before mom died. I'd never been to any of the schools in the area- my mom always said she wanted me to 'enjoy the search for knowledge rather than chasing after a decent grade' so she homeschooled me. I complained at the time because it meant I never had any friends my age (except the few I'd made up) but now i'm grateful she did because it meant I got to spend more time with her.  
This was the last place I remember being really happy and I think that's why dad decided to set up his business here, it reminds him of her and how unbelievably perfect our lives were back then. He probably hopes that we'll be able to find some of that happiness here again.  
I mentally sighed, he has always been the happy go-lucky optimist, I used to find it infectious but after getting my hopes up so many times before I'd learnt better than to put all my faith in another wild fantasy he had conjured up on a whim and obsessively tried to make happen for the past 2 years. After all this wasn't the first time something like this had happened since the accident that killed her.  
However some small part of me still felt like maybe he was right and we would actually build a life here (then again I thought that about the time we reconciled with my estranged grandfather and let's just say that did not end well).  
Then there was the real reason I was more nervous than I had ever been in my entire life, one that I'd never ever admit out loud. It was the feeling I got when we approached this town, like it was calling me here. It sounds crazy even in my head but I can't deny that I liked that feeling, it was as if I was being drawn toward a new life where I wouldn't feel like such an outcast. Like I truly belonged here...or maybe this place is just a literal beacon for the crazy and hopeless.

I finally found the school after driving around for over half an hour looking for a single sign of it. To be honest that was probably my fault, I have the worst sense of direction and I can't read a map to save my life. I parked my plain silver Volvo in one of the few remaining spots headed to the front desk to pick up my timetable. Thank god this school isn't very big or complicated, if it was I never would have found my way there on time for class. I was relieved I made it before the bell rang, I think if I had to walk in late to class on the first day I might just die of embarrassment.

First period of the day was home room where we were each assigned seats and told to take 10 minutes to talk to the person next to us. I was seated next to an insanely pretty red headed girl wearing some kind of designer dress and heels. Everything about her screamed popular and rich- from her perfectly curled hair, flawless makeup and professionally manicured nails to her pink kitten heels. I suddenly felt very self conscious in my regular converse, jeans and t-shirt get up with hardly any makeup and barely brushed hair. For the first 5 minutes of our "getting to know you" time she just got out her bright pink phone (latest model of course) and started texting, it was only when the teacher walked past and told her to put it away did she roll her eyes and turn to look at me for the first time. I felt like the runt of the litter being eyed up by the award winning show poodle.  
"Sooo... What do they call you?" She asked in a predictably snobby tone.  
"Um Effy, you?" She raised a delicate eyebrow at my name but brushed it off, deciding she wasn't interested enough to here an elaboration no doubt.  
"Lydia Martin. And since you didn't already know that I'm guessing that you just moved here" she stated, not sounding interested at all. I decided to elaborate anyway to prevent the awkward silence that usually happened when I tried talking to someone for more than a minute.  
"Er yeah, me and my dad just moved here from New York"  
She perked up slightly at the sound of that "New York huh? What does he do?"  
"He's a freelance lawyer- or at least he was I guess, um he set up a business h-here in Beacon hills" nice one Eff, one minute into the conversation and you're already stuttering over your words.  
Lydia however looked intrigued "well that explains how you can afford the $200 bracelet- but not why you look like you shop at target" she didn't even try to hide the disdain in her voice on 'target'.  
"Haha yea I don't really like shopping, I just sort of order a bunch of stuff online once a year, the bracelet was a Christmas present" I shifted in my seat and tried to look casual but I felt like everything I'd do or say would be wrong.  
"Well that is just unacceptable-" That was when the teacher stopped everyone's conversations and told us to switch places and start again. I really wasn't sure if I was annoyed or relieved at this. I started to get up when one of Lydia's perfectly manicured nails reached out and grabbed my arm- "What are you doing at lunch today?"  
"Ummm I wasn't really going to-"  
"Perfect!" She cut me off "then you can sit with me and my friends, if I don't see you before then, I'll be with the Lacrosse team and their girlfriends"  
"S-Sure" I managed to stumble out before grabbing my bag and numbly making my way over to another table. For the rest of the hour I was able to make short, awkward small talk with whoever I sat next to while dreading lunch.

Isaac's PoV.  
This has been the worst first day ever. I couldn't believe my dad had me working the triple late shift at the graveyard the night before I went back to school, I barely got any sleep at all. Though I guess it's better than staying home all evening waiting for him to get tired or drunk and start blaming me for everything that went wrong in this family since mom died. By third period I thought that this day couldn't get any worse when I did the stupidest thing imaginable- I asked out Lydia Martin. I just saw her standing alone at her locker on my way to class and thought that maybe this was my chance to start over- it was obvious just by looking at her that she was one of the rich, popular girls and I figured that if I could date someone like her high school would be different, I wouldn't have to be an outsider freak. Of course she said no, told me to come back when the bike I rode to school had an engine. Not that I blamed her, I didn't think anyone's standards were that low. Flustered and humiliated I quickly shoved half my textbooks and gym kit into my locker, determined to get away asap, but in my hurry i didn't see someone rushing around the corner as I turned to leave and we ended up barrelling straight into each other.

Effy's PoV  
I was dazed for a second before I looked around to see the that the entire contents of mine and the guy I crashed into's bag was splayed out on the floor in front of us. I paled and froze for a second before looking up at him. The first thing I (unfortunately) couldn't help noticing was that he was extremely attractive, he had curly light brown hair, a strong jawline and a figure somewhere between muscled and lean. Bright blue eyes met my dark green ones for a second as I stumbled over an apology and we picked up our stuff. I couldn't help but feel worse when he replied with a mumbled apology of his own while refusing to look me in the face, making him look like a puppy that had just been kicked. After we had everything back in our bags there was an awkward pause where he finally looked back at me. As the silence dragged out for a few more seconds (which felt like an eternity at the time) i proceeded to introduce myself, awkwardly thrusting out my hand for him to shake, almost dropping the books I was holding in the process. We only touched for a moment before he pulled away abruptly then quietly said his name- Isaac. I was about to start up a conversation with him when I heard Lydia calling me over. When I turned back to Isaac he was quickly walking away. Feeling embarrassed for making him feel so awkward I walked over to Lydia to see what she wanted.

She had a a thinly veiled look of annoyance as she asked "What do you think you're doing?"  
"Um I was apologising to Isaac, I may have ran into him..." I replied, confused at what she was so mad about.  
"Okay well you need to stay away from that guy."  
"What? Why?"  
"That's Lahey's kid- the gravedigger. He's super weird and creepy as hell. Can you believe he actually had the nerve to ask me out just now?" she paused to let out a cruel laugh "As if I would ever even consider it. I'm so out of his league it's like we're different species" she scoffed.  
I was getting more uncomfortable by the second and a little disappointed at the fact that he liked Lydia- not that I was expecting a guy as gorgeous as him to notice me anyway, but it was still crushing to discover that his 'type' was the exact opposite of me.  
On one hand I wanted to defend Isaac and call Lydia out on being such a bitch. The only thing stopping me was the fact that she was the only person here who had really tried talking to me today and I didn't want to be left without any friends throughout high school. Going with my gut instinct I decided on the former- after all, when is your gut ever wrong?  
"I appreciate the advice but he actually seemed pretty cool to me and kinda cute. And I think I can make my own decisions on who to hang out with thanks" Crap. That last line came out more rude than I had intended, and by the look of Lydia's face she was not going to take that. Where's a reset button when you need one?  
"You want to go making friends with losers? Fine. But just so you know, that makes you a loser by association, and I'm not friends with losers."  
This made me more angry, who the hell did she think she was? "Fine by me, I'd rather be a loser than one of your bratty little followers anyway." As soon as the words left my mouth I regretted them. It's not that they weren't true, I just didn't want to evoke the Queen Bee's wrath for the rest of high school. However, going by the glare she was giving me, that's exactly what I did.  
With a sickly sweet smile she simply said "let's see if you still think that when you're eating alone by the dumpster at lunch today" and walked away, her kitten heels making a clear clicking sound as she went.  
I was suddenly extremely aware that everyone's eyes were on me- they felt like little pinpricks attacking every inch of my skin, making blood run cold while my face heated up to the colour of a tomato. Under the pressure of their stares my mind and body went numb for a moment before common sense kicked in and urged me to keep my head down and walk quickly towards my locker. Unfortunately I didn't have to walk more than a few feet before I reached it so I was still getting quite a few stares from people who saw the argument. I had just finished stuffing all my books into my now cramped locker, fully prepared to go eat my lunch in the girls bathroom stall, when a pale skinny boy with a buzz cut came up beside me.  
"Hey, I saw what erm-what happened just now and I um- I guess I just wanted to say that was kinda awesome." He said. Okay so now I was really confused, I just insulted the Queen Bee- surely that mean't people would avoid me like the plague not compliment my stupidity.  
"Oh. well um... thanks I guess" I replied, not really sure what to say.  
"Hey no problem, do you maybe wanna sit with us- me and my friend Scott- or not... Just because-you know since Lydia sort of...you know... Unless you have your own friends to sit with which is cool but-" Wow. I don't think I'd ever met someone with worse word vomit than me. I thought it best to cut him off now since I knew first hand the longer I waited the more awkward he would feel when he ran out of things to say.  
"I'd love to have lunch with you guys- I umm- i don't exactly know anyone else here yet- just moved to Beacon hills like a month ago so yea..." I trailed off awkwardly.  
The guy looked relieved, whether it was from me stopping his uncomfortable rant or agreeing to eat lunch with him I'm not sure. He gave me a small smile as he nervously adjusted the strap on his backpack and we made our way to the cafeteria.  
"I'm Stiles by the way, Stiles Stillinski" he said after about 30 seconds of tense silence.  
"Elizabeth Stone" I replied "wait -Stillinski. Isn't that the Sheriff's name?"  
"Oh yeah that's my dad" he said proudly "so how'd know him, did you get caught shoplifting or something?" He added with a hint of sarcasm and a cheeky grin.  
"Haha no" I was starting to feel comfortable already around Stiles- which was almost unheard of for me. "we met a couple weeks ago, my dad invited him over for coffee. They actually used to know each other when we lived here a few years ago"  
"Oh right- I think he might've mentioned that at some point, so is your dad a cop too?"  
"I wish, nah he opened a law firm in town. I worked there during the summer and it's Super boring!" I complained with a dramatic yawn. I felt like I was rambling again and he would regret asking me to sit with him but Stiles just grinned.  
"C'mon it can't be that bad."  
"Believe me it is. Like I'd rather watch Obi Wan fight General Grievous in revenge of the Sith on repeat than answer another call to some woman who stubbed her toe at work and thinks she can sue the company" Stiles burst out laughing attracting a few stares from people walking past.  
"That sucks. I guess you could quit or try to get yourself fired, but then again your boss could just ground you if he saw you slacking off" he added thoughtfully.  
"Tell me about it, but I guess in a small town like this law enforcement isn't all car chases and unmasking serial killers"  
"True, I sometimes listen into my dads phone calls from the office and trust me they have never been about something serious, it's all "dog leash violation" and "kid shoplifting"." I couldn't help but laugh at how downhearted he sounded about the lack of crime in this town.  
"You listen to the chief of police' phone calls and hope there's a murderer in your home town?" I asked with barely contained laughter. He blushed and started stuttering an explanation but I cut him off again.  
"Honestly, I'm the same. I spent the last seven years on the road, travelling from state to state, wishing I had an actual home but I've been here less than two months and I feel like I'm going to die of boredom!" Wow. It felt really good to get that off my chest, even if it makes me sound pathetic. There was another pause before Stiles said wistfully "You know- I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship Elizabeth Stone"  
"I couldn't agree more Stiles Stilinski".

 **A/N: First of all thanks for giving this story a chance despite the crappy cover and description. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and continue reading. This is my first real attempt at writing a full Fanfiction so please give me as much feedback as you want, as long as it's constructive I'm more than happy to hear it.**


	2. Chapter 2

1 year later...  
The last year of my life went by in a flash.  
Lydia and I never did 'hug and make up' or whatever, in fact it's kinda gotten worse. Ever since that first day she's had it out for me (I guess when you've gotten everything you want all your life it comes as a nasty shock when someone finally tells you no). Nothing really bad happened, she's not like those psychopathic blonde bitch she-Devils you see on cheesy teen dramas, her and her followers don't put rats in my locker or corner me in the bathroom and flush my head down the toilet- although maybe that's just because they're too busy staring at their reflections in the bathroom mirror. No, her tactics are more subtle but still cruel- by the second day I'd become a social pariah. She'd spread the word about what happened but twisted the story so she came out looking like the victim and I the petty jealous bully- few witnesses were brave enough to contradict her and they were all ignored, by the end of the day I was getting glares and hearing people not-so-subtlety whisper bitchy comments to each other as I walked past. "Omg, is that her?! She looks like such a troll up close"and "no wonder she got so jealous of Lydia, poor AND ugly... So sad" were things I heard between every class. Then the rumours started. Apparently at my last school i was; held back 3 times, pregnant- with a teachers baby, a bully, a drug dealer and a hooker- so yeah, i was really popular that year.

Though it may seem crazy, despite all that, I'm still more than glad at the way things turned out because from it I made the two best friends I've ever had. I've had so much fun with Scott and Stiles this year, they stood by me through everything, never believed a word anybody else said about me and made me feel accepted in a place I mostly wasn't. Honestly if it wasn't for them I may have seriously considered taking my dad up on his offer to move me to that preppy rich-kid school 'nearby'. Stiles especially has been amazing, we have so much in common; we're both into the same genres of movies (pretty much anything but cheesy romantic), we have the same sarcastic attitude, sense of humour, we love video games and mythology, and-most importantly- we share the same boredom of living in a town where nothing ever happens. Not to mention he excels in all the subjects I suck at and vice versa, so we're the perfect study partners. Scott is one of the kindest people I've ever met and a natural born leader, I'm honestly shocked he's considered - a "loser" and not part of the jocks crowd (maybe because he kinda sucks at sports due to his asthma, but still).  
The only downside is that I still sometimes feel like a third wheel with them. I think it's partly because of how obviously close they already were (knowing each other since they were kids and all) and partly because of my own deep insecurities that don't let me accept that anyone but my dad will ever want me without a condition. I know, I have issues. Deal with it.  
Plus they're both boys, I've learnt a lot about lacrosse and cars from them but, no matter how hard I try to be, I'm not really interested. And I've got no one to talk about other things I'm into like books and art or boys.

But enough of the past, tomorrow is the first day of a new school year and I have this weird feeling it's going to be the start something big, something that will completely change my life forever. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking...


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: so I know I've changed some of the sequence in the forest scene but I hope you still enjoy. And please remember to rate and review :)**

Bang...

Bang...

Bang...  
Oh god, if you're a serial killer at least have the decency to murder me without disturbing my much needed rest before school tomorrow.  
"Hey, Effy! it's me. Open up. It's an emergency!". Stiles, of course. Well, it looks like I'll be the one doing the murdering tonight. If I just lay still maybe he'll go away...  
"I know you're awake, I can't hear your snoring, if you don't get out here in the next 10 seconds I'm coming in". He's bluffing. "10...9...8..." That woke me up. I opened my window up all the way and poked my head out. Why didn't I lock it before I went to bed? Because it's freakin' 100 degrees in California and I live in the quietest neighbourhood in town- at least it is when Stiles isn't here.  
"What do you want Stiles? I'm trying to get my beauty sleep for school tomorrow"  
"You don't need it. And this is WAY better, guess what i just picked up on my dads police scanner?" I could tell he was practically wetting himself from excitement.  
"If I hear you out do you promise you'll let me go back to bed?" I leaned further out the now fully open window so he wouldn't have to keep talking so loudly.  
"Sure, but you won't want to" he quipped confidently.  
"Fine, I'll bite. What did you learn from illegally listening in on police transmissions?"  
"They found HALF a dead body in the woods!" Okay that was definitely worth the wake up.  
"Are you serious?! When?"  
"Just now, the police are still out looking for the other half" he had this look in his eyes- the kind he gets when he has a really bad idea that almost always gets us in trouble.  
"Whatever you're thinking, no. I'm going back to my bed and claiming plausible deniability if anyone asks tomorrow"  
"C'mooooon. Don't tell me you're not itching to see this for yourself, you practically live for all this murder mystery stuff!" He was right of course, my favourite book, movie and TV show was Sherlock Holmes, but I had a really bad feeling about all this.  
"Yeah but seeing up close? That seems horrifying"  
"come on! Please?!" Not even bothering to come up with another compelling point. I can tell he's not taking no for an answer this time but I'm not giving in that easily.  
"No Stiles, besides, it's the first day back tomorrow and I wanna get a good nights sleep." God knows i need from all the late nights I've had over the summer- scrolling through tumblr and re-reading my favourite books in case you somehow thought I was cool enough to stay up partying.  
"Seriously?! Something interesting finally happens in this town and you would rather go to bed early than investigate it with your two best friends?" He waved his arms around as he spoke showing his impatience and disbelief.  
"Yes!" I lied. "Why do you even need me there? You know Scott's going to go with you no matter what, and even a severe asthmatic would be better in a fight than me"  
"True, but I want to share this amazing experience with my main partner in crime." I raised an eyebrow and rested my forearms on the window sill. "Also if we get caught they're more likely to let us off with warning if the daughter of the only lawyer, and one of the biggest philanthropists, in town is with us" there it was.  
"Gee, I feel so appreciated." At this point he's worn me down with his stupid puppy dog eyes and big grin, why do I have to be so weak? "Fine, I'll come- but if things go south I am throwing you both under the bus and running the other way."  
"Yes! You won't regret this, I promise." His whole face lighting up like a child on Christmas morning.  
"Whatever Stilinski, let's just go get Scott before one of my neighbours see's me sneaking out."

...

In the Woods- torn_apart_chapter_wolf_moon/set?id=224955909#fans

And so here I am, treading through the woods, soggy brown leaves squelching beneath my boots, trying not to think about what it would feel like if I accidentally stepped on a someone's lifeless body. You know, just a regular Sunday night. Would it smell? -probably, but what of? A few years ago our fridge broke in the middle of the night on the hottest day of the year, everything went bad; including an entire pound of steak we'd gotten the day before. The stench alone was so bad the next morning I threw up twice and couldn't stand to go back into the kitchen all day- but the sight was even worse. Large black flies clung to it like a second skin and maggots burrowed their way into the purple flesh, relishing in the taste of rot and death- needless to say I haven't eaten steak since. I shuddered at the thought of seeing a human body like that and huddled in closer to my soft, oversized hoodie for comfort. Everything seemed so much creepier tonight, a big part of me was screaming to grab Stiles and Scott and run as far away from here as possible.  
When I left the house it couldn't have been less than 60 degrees out, but ever since stepping into the woods it's like the temperature dropped to 30. It wasn't like the air was just chilling my skin either- it was as if the cold was seeping into my bones, making me slower, weaker... Easier to catch. I'd been in these woods at least a dozen times before but tonight felt different- like there was something evil in the shadows waiting to strike. If it weren't for Scott and Stiles there is no doubt in my mind I would have turned around and gone home, but I knew there was no chance the latter would abandon his quest without a good reason. I've never been good about talking about my "intuitions", if I tried to tell him I'd just end up stumbling over my words and he'd assume I was just being paranoid. Besides, both boy's on my left seemed totally unaffected by the cold and the setting, maybe it's just all those Steven King novels coming back to haunt me, making me afraid.

"We're seriously doing this?" Scott complained- my thoughts exactly Scotty, but it's kinda late to turn back now, Stiles is determined to find the damn body and so no one but his dad can stop him.  
"You're the one always bitching that nothing ever happens in this town." Stiles retorted.  
"Actually that would be me. I can see why you'd get confused though, Scott and I are practically the same person" I said, playing it cool, trying to lighten the mood. Stiles gave a quiet snort and nudged my shoulder in response. I hoped it would calm him down but Scotts mind seemed somewhere else entirely.  
"I was trying to get a good night's sleep before practice tomorrow." I mentally groaned, I forgot about Lacrosse tryouts. It's not that I hated the game or watching them play, it's just that I felt so uncomfortable sitting on the bench alone while they failed to make shot after shot, having to listen to Lydia and her friends rate the players on level of hotness, watching Jackson and the jocks laugh at them from the sidelines- it was the worst.  
"Right, 'cause sitting on the bench is such a grueling effort."  
"No, because I'm playing this year. In fact, I'm making first line." My stomach dropped. A small, selfish Part of me really hoped that Scott and Stiles never made the lacrosse team, then they'd be noticed by the popular kids and it would come down to them having to decide between me and them. No contest. I always felt incredibly guilty for thinking that about my best friends, I know they'd never leave me behind on purpose, but I can't help but feel like that's exactly what would happen.  
"Hey, that's the spirit. Everyone should have a dream, even a pathetically unrealistic one." Ouch, nice going Stiles.  
"Hey I've seen him practice, I think you can do it Scotty" I retorted, trying to be the positive friend. Scott sent me a bright smile in return whilst Stiles just rolled his eyes. Then a thought suddenly occurred to me, one I probably should have had the minute he told me about the body.  
"Just out of curiosity, which half of the body are we looking for?"  
Stiles looked surprised and answered "Huh! I didn't even think about that."  
Scott joined in asking "And, uh, what if whoever killed the body is still out here?" Good point.  
"Also something I didn't think about." Stiles answered casually as if we were just discussing the weather.  
"It's - comforting to know you've planned this out with your usual attention to detail."  
"I know." He laughed. Perfect, now a part of me is hoping we do get caught by the police before something worse catches us.  
...I mean someONE worse, I really need to stop with this supernatural monster bullshit.  
I glanced passed Stiles to gauge Scotts reaction and saw he was falling behind a little.  
"Hey Stiles, maybe the severe asthmatic should be the one holding the flashlight" I suggested, Scott shot me a grateful smile which I returned. But Stiles didn't seem to even hear me as he was staring at a clearing in the trees a few feet away.  
"Wait, come on!" He cried out suddenly and took off, me following closely behind.  
"Stiles! Wait up! Stiles! Emily!" I hung back to help Scott but a stream of light between the trees made me panic and duck behind an old oak. I tried signalling Stiles but by the time he looked in my direction it was too late.  
'Hold it right there!" A random deputy shouted, the man looked all too pleased with himself for catching what is obviously a teenage boy- I assume he thought he was going to be rewarded for apprehending the killer. Moron. Thankfully Sheriff Stilinski chose this moment to appear through the thick of the trees and save him from being arrested.  
"Hang on, hang on. This little delinquent belongs to me." I had to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing.  
"Dad, how are you doing?" Smooth Stilinski, act like you just bumped into each other on the street and I'm sure he'll let us off scott free.  
"So, do you, uh, listen in to all of my phone calls?" Yes. Yes he does.  
"No, heh. Not the boring ones." I mentally face palmed at his inability to not be a smartass.  
"Now, where are your usual partners in crime?" Great, we're dead.  
"Who, Scott? Eff? T-They're home. He said he wanted to get a good night's sleep for first day back at school tomorrow and she didn't answer when I dropped by. It's just me. In the woods. Alone." Urgg! It would be so much easier for me to stay mad at him if he wasn't such a loyal friend. Stupid Stiles.  
"Scott, you out there? Scott? Effy?" He flashed his torch in our direction and I had to duck lightning fast to not be seen.  
"Well, young man, I'm gonna walk you back to your car. And you and I are gonna have a conversation about something called invasion of privacy." I was able to catch Stiles eye for a second as he was being dragged away and sent him a quick grin. He paused at the sight and almost blew my cover again grinning back- luckily his dad seemed too preoccupied with getting him home, before he made an even bigger mess, to notice.  
It was a few more minutes before the coast was clear and I was able to come out from behind the tree.  
"Scott? Where are you?" I whispered into the dark...no answer  
"Scott?!" Okay i was starting to panic, I was now stuck out here alone. Maybe I should have just gone out faced my punishment- it beats getting lost in the woods and murdered by some psycho who cuts his victims in half. And, If that wasn't bad enough, Stiles took the only flashlight.  
"Effy!" My heart nearly jumped out of my chest as the silence was broken by Scotts 'quiet' whisper from behind me. Before my mind could catch up to my mouth I let out an embarrassing yelp of fear.  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you" Scott said guiltily.  
"It's fine, I'm just a little jumpy from, you know, being out in the middle of the woods-at night with no phone, torch or car while there's a crazed murderer on the loose." I meant it jokingly but my voice betrayed how nervous I really was.  
"Understandable" Scott replied getting out his phone for light "I think there's a path this way, it'll lead us out of here and we can figure out how to get home from there" he started walking towards the clearing with me at his heels. After a few minutes of comfortable silence I'd started to calm down and spoke up. "So do you wanna do rock, paper scissors to decide which one of us has to tell Stiles we gave up on the search and went home?" He let out a light hearted laugh and was about to reply when he tripped a fell down a steep hill. My heart jumped to my throat as he fell, i felt like I couldn't breathe, move, speak everything went in tortuous slow motion as I heard him tumble and fall , his whole body slamming against the ground like a sack of potatoes.

I was so shocked I forgot how to speak for a second. Just as I was about to call out his name a low sinister growl behind me- unlike any animal I've ever heard, almost...human. The cold seeped back into my bones and the feeling of being watched got unbearable, like something monstrous was peering into my soul and tainting it. All of a sudden my head was spinning out of control, i felt my chest constrict and breathing became nearly impossible. My heart throwing itself against my rib cage as if it was trying to escape. The beast was getting closer, I could feel it, but still not see it. I had never been this terrified in my life- I just knew this thing was going to kill me, slowly, painfully and enjoy every second of it. I'm sure I can smell it now, a mixture of burnt flesh and wet dog.  
I can feel it's breath on my back and my mind is screaming at me to run!...fight!...beg for my life...ANYTHING! But my body was useless and my mind almost as bad. I had practically accepted my fate when I heard the faintest crunch and time, which had previously been racing ahead at an impossible speed, froze.  
My heart seemed to stop beating in the moment it took for that thing to back away and disappear into the trees.  
I don't know how long I stood there waiting for my senses to slowly return to me. First I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding in, based on the relief I felt- another 10 seconds and I would have passed out. Then my heartbeat slowed to a pace that wasn't painfully fast. After that my legs gave out and I collapsed on the ground in a curled up heap. The next... However long... I spent just trying to control my breathing and make my brain process what happened. There was a mons-MAN behind me, the killer? Some other random, harmless guy looking for the body? Was there ever anything there at all? Did I imagine it? Am I crazy?! The answer is yes. I am. If there was someONE there and they were dangerous then they would have just killed me, what would have possibly made them stalk towards me and then just leave? Unless something else distracted them...SCOTT!  
Without another second of hesitation I got to my feet I bolted down the hill where I think he fell, but without any source of light I could only guess and pray I'd find him- alive and unharmed. It was miracle I didn't slip and fall myself on the way down, I almost lost my balance at the bottom but managed to drab hold of a branch on the tree next to me, pine needles on harsh bark bit at my skin but thankfully didn't break the surface.  
I could see more clearly here as the moonlight leaked through the trees and illuminated the clearing.  
My heart stopped beating again when I saw Scott laying on his back, not moving. In that moment my world froze, I feared the worst had happened, that one of my best friend was...dead.  
My small voice croaked out his name not expecting a reply, so when I got one, in the form of a loud groan, I jumped about a foot in the air. My feet acted ahead of my mind and before I knew it I was by his side, only one thought running through my head- "he's alive, thank god he's ALIVE". Another groan left his lips as he opened his eyes and looked at me.  
"Eff...? What happened? Are you okay?" He questioned dazedly. Then "why are you crying?"  
I was confused at that last one, I never cry. I touched my cheek with one (still shaking) hand and sure enough it was damp from tears. My logic was finally returning to me and I couldn't help but laugh shakily. I hugged my friend, partly needing physical proof that he was okay but mostly wanting comfort for myself. He hugged back slightly baffled. A minute later I pulled away and he asked again "are you okay?" God the sincerity in his voice was so genuine I wanted to tell him everything, but I stopped myself at the last second- he'd think I was crazy. Absolutely insane- or just weak and pathetic. No, I'd rather suffer alone than lose a friend. So I lied. Or at least told a whopper of a half-truth.  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Really, you just had me worried there for a second" I attempted a smile at the end but It came out as more of an ugly grimace. Scott couldn't have looked less convinced, I'm certain he was going to call me out on it before he saw the look in my eyes begging him to let it go. And so he did, though I wasn't sure how long he'd wait until he brought it up again, it was something I didn't want to think about.  
"But what about you? You're the one who face planted down a hill. Oh crap, nothing's broken, right? Because I cannot carry your fat ass all the way back to town on my own" he looked slightly reassured hearing me talk like myself again and sat up more fully.  
"Yeah...I think I'm okay, I'm just lucky to be alive" I tensed at that- Scott wasn't one to be overly dramatic, that was Stiles job. I helped him to his feet and noticed he was clutching his side.  
"Haha it wasn't THAT bad a fall Scotty, you could've just sprained your ankle... and then Melissa would've murdered you for being out here in the first place" I was trying to stay calm but somehow I knew what his next words were going to be before he even opened his mouth.  
"It wasn't the fall that hurt, it was the wolf bite" Wait...wolf? That doesn't make any sense, the thing that I saw was more like a beast. Did I really just hallucinate the whole thing or what?  
"Erm I think you must have hit your head on the way down, there is no way a wolf would've bitten you once and run off. If you were attacked by a wolf- you'd be super dead right now." I said casually.  
"Oh really? Then what's this?" He lifted up his shirt revealing two rows of jagged bite marks deep in his skin. The sight temporarily pushed all other thoughts to the back of my mind.  
"Jeez Scott we gotta get you to a hospital before this gets infected"  
"No! It's fine, really. I've had way worse than this before- remember when I crashed my bike into that tree last year?" I did. Vividly. In case you haven't guessed by now, I don't do well with blood and gore- probably why I'm barely scraping a C in biology.  
"But what if it was like, rabid or something- you could need shots" I argued  
"Look, If my mom finds out we were out here we're all dead." I can't believe he'd risk his life to avoid being grounded. I swear guys are so dumb.  
"If you don't get that checked out you'll literally be dead" i retorted in a matter-of-fact tone.  
"I know how to clean a wound properly and if it looks worse in the morning I'll go to the doctor. Okay?" It wasn't but I was too exhausted to argue with him further. It wouldn't do any good anyway, Scott could be so stubborn person when he put his mind to it.  
"Fine" I gave in. "Let's just find the path" the rest of the walk was spent in semi-awkward silence. I was still kinda annoyed at him- I knew why he was afraid of his mom finding out- there was a possibility she would punish him by taking him off the lacrosse team- once again proving that he would risk life and limb to make it to first line.

It hadn't taken us that long to get home, once we had wifi Scott Googled the number for an all night taxi service and we got picked up by this slightly shady looking guy in what was clearly his own car with a homemade Taxi cab sign precariously balanced on top and hot glued on. The interior smelt of gas station air freshener and cheap cologne, the seats were made of that harsh carpet-fabric you get on crappy trains and one of the interior doors didn't have a handle. Any other time I would have noped out of there faster than Wiley Coyote but I honestly didn't have the energy to trek down this road another 2 minutes let alone hours. So we got in and I told him the addresses, Scotts first, since his mom was home and he didn't have enough money to pay the guy, then mine. The ride was silent, I knew Scott was dying to bring up what happened but obviously couldn't in front of creepy cabbie so things went back to awkward.  
Now that I had a minute to think clearly I started freaking out all over again. I was barely containing my fear as it was, there just wasn't enough in me to pretend everything was fine anymore, and the driver didn't seem like the kind of guy to make small talk. The only word I spoke to Scott was when he got out to leave-  
"Scott" I called out, my voice coming out a croak. He turned around hopefully, but everything I wanted to say- all the reassurances and half-truths died on my tongue when he looked me in the eyes.  
"I'll see you in school tomorrow" I lamely stated with small, genuine smile. He looked disappointed but just nodded, replied "yeah, I'll be there" and walked away.  
...

It was just after 12 when I first lay down, having managed to creep in and out of the house to pay the driver and not wake my dad in the process. I was expecting to crash as soon as I got under the covers, that the weight of everything that happened would send me straight to sleep. It always has before when I've had a stressful or eventful day. Now it was like the opposite was happening, my mind was itching to talk about whatever the fuck just happened, scream about it even. But nobody would ever believe me, dad would send me to Eichen house, Scott would be even more concerned and freaked out- he'd encourage me to tell my dad or have his mom check me over, then I'd have to tell her about it and she'd have to tell my dad etc. Stiles would do his research and 'science' it- saying I just had an adrenaline rush and minor hallucination or whatever, he'd ask countless questions and get me to analyse it in ways I really didn't want to- either that or he'd think up some crazy theory and puzzle it out as if we were the main characters on a supernatural drama.

Deep down I couldn't deny that I know what I felt, it was beyond rational explanation and I definitely didn't want to poke it with a stick. My thoughts buzzed like flies in my mind, every time I tried to focus on one it would fly away. For over half an hour I just quietly paced around my room, jumping at every noise, unable to sit still for more than a few seconds before jumping up and starting over again.  
In times of crisis I usually calm down by doing something productive like drawing or reading a book but I couldn't even think straight enough to draw anything, besides nightmarish monsters and those haunted woods, let alone read. So I just continued my routine of getting up, pacing the length of my room twice, sitting down, letting my thoughts wash over me again then getting back up.  
Then an idea hit me and I felt stupid for not thinking of it sooner. I got off of my bed and dug around in my closet looking for something I hadn't seen in over a year- in the process finding about a dozen things I thought I'd lost ages ago. After an hour of searching I found what I was looking for, an old brown leather journal covered in dust but still in unused condition. My dad got it for me 2 Christmases ago because I kept 'forgetting' dates and appointments made. Why did I need this item in particular instead of just using a regular old notebook? Because this had a lock and key- I couldn't have anybody knowing what happened tonight but I needed to get it out somehow, this was the only solution I could think of. So for the next 2 hours I wrote and re-wrote what happened in excruciating detail, so much so nobody could deny that I believed I was telling the truth, no matter how insane I sounded. I was starting to see the appeal in having a whiteboard like Stiles, seeing the words enlarged would have made the events a lot easier to organise.

When I was done it was after 3 in the morning and I didn't even have the energy to climb under the covers, or care about how terrible I was going to feel tomorrow morning on the first day of sophomore Year.


	4. Chapter 4

I woke up to sunlight streaming through the windows like laser beams burning my retinas and my alarm clock blaring out 'walking on sunshine'. For a minute I was confused about why I was lying ON my bed rather than IN it and what my old diary was doing next to me- then the events of the night before came rushing back to me like a freight train. I groaned, still confused about everything and knowing that I had to face Scott in just over an hour, hopefully he'd forgotten about how panicked I looked when I found him and our argument the night before.  
Still, in order to convince him I was totally fine I decided to put on more of an effort this morning than I usually would. First I showered using my favourite cinnamon and vanilla body wash with my usual Apple shampoo and conditioner. I meant to only take about 5-10 minutes but as soon as the hot water hit my back I realised how much I needed this and just let my muscles relax under the warm spray until it turned cold. By the time I got out I only had 20 minutes left to get ready so I quickly grabbed the first matching shirt and jeans combo I could find and got to work on getting rid of the bags under my eyes and taming the birds nest on my head. By the time I was done making myself look vaguely human I had less than two minutes to get out the door and drive to school, unfortunately this meant skipping breakfast so my stomach was growling like an angry bear all the way there. It only occurred to me that maybe this shirt and jeans combo was a little too tight when I was 5 minutes from the school parking lot- after all, I'd bought them last year before I'd...developed over the summer.  
As usual I just about managed to stumble into class before the tardy bell rang (receiving the usual glare from our plump yet strict math teacher) and took a seat next to Stiles, who shot me a brilliant grin on arrival.  
"As I was saying" he paused to give me a pointed glare, which made me look down to avoid worsening the blush creeping onto my already pink cheeks. "There indeed was a body found in the woods last night. And I am sure your eager little minds are coming up with various macabre scenarios as to what happened. But I am here to tell you that the police have a suspect in custody, which means you can give your undivided attention to the syllabus which is on your desk outlining this semester." I opened my book and started making notes on all the areas we'd be covering so I'd know how freakin bored I'd be this year. It's not that I'm bad at math- I understand it perfectly most of the time- it's just that i find it all so boring. As soon as he turned back to the board Stiles nudged my arm and dropped a note on my desk, narrowly avoided getting caught by the teacher- who had finished writing by now and turned to face us.

Hey, Scott told me everything. You OK? Can you believe something BIT him?! And HE FOUND THE BODY! How cool is that? We're going back to the reserve to look for his inhaler after tryouts today, you in? Probably won't take long, we can do movie night right after. :)

The note had my head spinning on multiple levels:  
A) I wanted to know what he meant by EVERYTHING, did he just mean the basics of what happened or did Scott tell him about how I was practically sobbing all over him after we got seperated? Why was he asking me if I'm 'OK', was he worried because he knows or just generally asking? Jeez, why couldn't he have just waited until we got out of class to do this, at least then I'd be able to read his facial expressions.  
B)Scott lost his inhaler? That's weird, he never mentioned it last night.  
C) He saw the body?! Why the hell didn't that come up in conversation? Did that mean that whatever I felt last night really was the killer?! - not necessarily, I mean- why would the killer just be chillin around his victims corpse when the police were already out looking for him? Seriously, was it really that awkward between us that Scott felt too uncomfortable to mention that he actually found what we went out there looking for. Or maybe he thought I was in too much of a state as it was to handle it. I'm not sure which I would prefer but I had an awful feeling it was both.  
D) Stiles and I had made a pact during summer that on the first day back after school we'd have a movie marathon at my place since my dad was going to be working late (no surprise there). I even agreed to make my famous double fudge brownies that he likes so long as he bought a bag of the good mini pretzels from the store on the other side of town. At the time it seemed like the best idea ever but now I'm worried he'll use it as an opportunity to grill me further.

I was torn on what to say- on one hand I wanted to go with them, if for no other reason than to prove I could, that I wasn't scared so easily. But just the thought of returning to that place sent goosebumps down my spine, I knew I wouldn't be able to handle going back there just yet, even in broad daylight.  
So I wrote back:

I'm good, managed to get a few hours sleep but I still need a whole bucket of coffee to get me through this lesson alone. Yea I saw the bite last night, it looked nasty but he refused to get it looked at. He actually SAW the body?! Where? When? I didn't even know we were close to it. Sorry, I can't, I promised my neighbour I'd watch her baby for an hour while she picked her kids up from school :(

That last part wasn't a total lie, my neighbour, Mrs Henderson, really did have a baby girl and 2 older twins- Sophie and Kaleb. I was even their babysitter once a month on 'date night' before baby Krissy arrived. The only lie was she never asked me to watch the baby, ever since she was born she's barely let anyone even look at her- I think it has something to do with the fact that she almost lost her during childbirth and now she's afraid to let the fragile thing out of her sight. But Stiles didn't know that so I could use it to my advantage.  
Fortunately I didn't have to wait long for an opportunity to discreetly pass my reply back to him because as soon as I finished writing the principal walked in, followed by an extremely pretty girl with big brown eyes, pale skin and long dark hair. I honestly don't think I'd ever felt this jealous of someone else's good looks before, it wasn't like she was technically any prettier than Lydia Martin, but she had more of a kind,approachable attractiveness that I'd always longed for.  
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Stiles unfold the note and frown then stash it inside his notebook before the teacher caught on. When I turned back around I noticed the new girl was making her way to the only available seat behind Scott. The rest of the lesson continued as usual, the teacher didn't take his eyes off the class again so I never saw the note Stiles wrote in reply to mine.

When the hour was up we dismissed individually after receiving personal reports from last years end of term test. Unsurprisingly I was called on last and was presented with an undeserved D-, I swear this guy just really hates me- all the notes on my test were stupid 'you need to improve your handwriting' 'make your point clearer'- if i were any other student I would have a C+ at least.  
Already beyond irritated I trudged over to Scott and Stiles ready to vent, but got distracted by the sight of queen bee and her douche bag boyfriend talking to new girl at her locker. They reminded me of two snakes cornering a rabbit. Scott was looking longingly at new girl...the weirdest thing was he looked like he could hear them from across the hallway. Nah, I've just never seen him this focused before.

"Can either of you please tell me how new girl is here all of five minutes, and she's already hanging out with Lydia's clique?" I questioned my best friends, letting my annoyance slip into every word.  
"Because she's hot. Beautiful people herd together." Stiles answered casually, as if it were just a fact of life. Like sunrise or terrible Michael Bay movies. Noticing the grimace on my face Stiles added "I mean that's why she was nice to you last year before... You know- I mean that's not the only reason I'm sure... Well actually-"  
"Stiles stop." I interrupted with a bitter laugh "That's not why I'm annoyed" I knew he was just saying that to make me feel better, Lydia only wanted to be 'friends' last year because she likes having passively adoring followers obeying her every command and every sign pointed towards me being that kind of girl. She ditched me when I showed I'm not THAT pathetic.  
"Oh. So what's up? You don't like new girl already?" His tone suggested he was trying to be casual but failing miserably. He could tell already that Scott liked her- one of the quirks from knowing someone your whole life is you can tell when they're crushing on someone- Stiles didn't want there to be a rivalry between his best friends crush and his other best friend.  
"No, I just don't like knowing yet another person will think of me as the school bitch." My shoulders slumped towards the end and I couldn't look Stiles in the eye. I was trying to play it cool like I always did when I mentioned being the school outcast, I'd gotten much better over time but I knew Stiles saw right through me when his features softened. I could tell he was going to try and say something reassuring, and that it would most likely come out wrong, so I cut him off before he had the chance.  
"Anyway we better get Scotty to his next class before he starts drooling, what's your schedule like?" Stiles laughed while taking a very crumpled list of classes out of his bag- having almost completely forgotten our previous conversation already. Which was absolutely fine by me- and based on how normal he was acting (well, normal for Stiles) Scott definitely didn't tell him about how much of a mess I was last night which was a huge relief, now all I had to do was convince Scott I was okay.  
"Scott and I have pretty much the same classes- just different home rooms and I'm in AP English" he beamed handing the paper over with his usual confident yet jerky movements.  
"Great, so do we. We're even in the same English class. Only difference is I've got art and photography where the two of you have French and history, plus Miss James is my tutor again." My muscles relaxed at finding out I wouldn't be alone in most of my classes. First bit of good news I've received all day. The optimist in me told me to take it as a 'sign' and brighten my spirits- "this year isn't going to end as badly as it began" I told myself. Unfortunately my optimism didn't last long as I noticed who we had for our next class. I thought about warning Stiles but he didn't seem to realise and there was still a little residual anger from him dragging us out last night in the first place. So I decided to keep it to myself and get even.  
Plus, the sight of Stiles face when he sees Mr Harris walk in will be priceless. "Okay next class is this way, come on" I said, already walking towards the chemistry room.

It was the end of the day which meant only one thing- lacrosse tryouts. To my dismay the weather was chilly and it was slightly windy but not so bad that they wouldn't be able to play and tryouts would be delayed to another day. I was seriously tempted to leave as soon as the final bell rang; but I knew they'd need as much support as they could get and I really wanted to be the one to give it to them. So I told Stiles and Scott that the neighbours twins had an after school club meaning I didn't have to leave until 4.30, which allowed me enough time to watch them play but not join them in their trek through the woods. A huge part of me was sick with guilt for lying to them but I felt it was my only real option.  
So here I am sitting by myself on the uncomfortable bench in the freezing stands with a my sketchbook in hand; pretending to not notice the snickers from Lydia's clique-who weren't sitting with her for once since she'd decided to focus all her attention on making new girl-Allison- like her. No, I was just a creative outsider- above caring about what anyone else thought of me, like Luna Lovegood (my favourite Harry Potter character) too amazing for any of them to understand. Ha. I wasn't fooling anyone.  
I turned my attention back to my friends and was surprised to see Scott cross the field and make his way into goal, doesn't coach know he's never played?! I sent an encouraging smile towards him, he smiled back a little nervously before putting on his helmet. When he turned away I exchanged a panicked look with Stiles who was practically biting his nails on the bench. All the players lined up to take their shot, I could tell Scott was wracked with nerves even though I couldn't see his face from where I was sitting.

As soon as the whistle blew he started clutching his head- as if the piercing noise was causing him physical pain. My heart jumped to my chest in concern- I had the weirdest feeling that this had something to do with the bite he received last night. Rather than go help him, one of the asshole players took advantage of this and shot a lacrosse ball directly at his head, causing him to fall back. I glared at the lot of them as they laughed, wishing more than anything looks could kill. "What a dick" I stated under my breath. Scott turned to face me, as if he'd heard my comment, then got back on his feet and straightened up. My anxiety had increased 10 fold at this point, I felt so helpless just sitting here watching when something is obviously wrong. The next player lined up, I bit my lip hard- just hoping he wouldn't take anymore to the face. I cowardly shut my eyes at the last second- half expecting to hear wincing from the crowd. So you can imagine my shock when I opened my eyes a fraction and saw he actually managed to catch this one. And the next. And the next. He caught every ball thrown at him with ease. People in the stands were cheering him on, despite most of them not even knowing his name. Stiles and I were sharing a baffled yet overjoyed look when Jackson roughly shoved one of the other players aside to get the next shot in himself. The two boys shared an intense stare down before the team captain ran up and threw the ball with all his might towards my friend. If I could have I would have looked away again as I fully expected it to either fly past Scott into goal or cause some serious damage to him, I actually let out a loud whoop and stood up in my seat when I saw he caught it easily. Relieved I wasn't the only one standing but still unable to stop my cheeks from turning pink I quickly sat back down and clapped awkwardly, a huge grin persistently glued to my face. It was then that I noticed the person behind me cheering was Lydia Martin herself- isn't she dating the guy who just got his ass handed to him? I realised what she was doing when I saw the snake send Jackson a smug look, i wondered if she was ever NOT playing some kind of twisted mind game with the people she was supposed to care about.

After practice I said congratulated Scott, telling him about how impressed Allison looked and that he should go for it now while the imagine of him kicking butt was fresh in her mind. He looked like he was considering it but chickened out when he saw her walking away with Lydia, making the excuse that he had to go get changed. Stiles confirmed he would head to my place as soon as they'd found Scotts inhaler then followed behind him.

Now that I was alone, and not overwhelmed by the sudden joy and excitement in my friends eyes, it was harder to keep my worries out of my thoughts. 'This is a good thing' I kept telling myself 'Scotts happy and as his friend I'm happy for him' and though that was mostly true I couldn't help but feel that this was the start of everything I'd dreaded. Hell, even LYDIA was cheering him on. No, I wouldn't let my stupid insecurities ruin this for Scott or make me sabotage myself AGAIN. Besides, the sudden victory for him seemed to wipe last nights events from his mind completely- which is good for me as I no longer needed to worry about having to 'talk' about it. I'll just push my fears to the back of my mind until they go away completely- I mentally rolled my eyes- oh yeah, because that always works splendidly.

 **Y/N: hey guys, sorry the story is going so slowly- I probably shouldn't have set so much up in the first chapter. I hope to speed things up in the next update though and get to the juicy stuff soon, until then thanks for being patient. As always please comment and tell me what you think, I love hearing what you think. Bye for now x**


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